Imagine the Possibilities

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

The wind was blowing a bit as I left the post office yesterday morning. I lowered my head and made my way to my car, came around to the driver’s side, and opened the door.

Good morning!

            Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!

            I saw you coming and thought to myself, “No, she’s really not going to do that.”

            Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!

            I think you’re looking for the other blue CRV over there.

            Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!

            Don’t worry. My wife does that all the time.

Most of us have probably done it before – tried to get into a car in a parking lot that looks just like ours. But I must say, I’ve never before actually opened the door and found someone sitting in the car! Allan and I are at the age where we keep track of our senior moments. We had a good laugh over that one! I’m sure the gentleman in the car and his wife did, too.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

I didn’t do any prep work for slicing this year – jotting down ideas, rereading old slices, etc. I wanted to concentrate on finding those small moments from each day. So in the evening, sometimes as I’m trying to fall asleep, or in the early morning, I reflect on my day. Yesterday evening I was somewhat in a panic because there was nothing I wanted to write about! (I know, we’ve all been there.) But I got an idea after reading a few slices.

Kevin (Dogtrax) over at Kevin’s Meandering Mind is using the six word strategy to write his slices. I’ve noticed some other slicers trying it out also, so last night I decided to give it a try. Six words? Not a problem! Turns out it’s easier said than done. First of all, there’s deciding on a topic – signs of spring? shopping? trip preparation? Nothing was grabbing me. So I asked myself what has been the focus of most of my days recently, and I found my topic – physical therapy.

I’ve had over twenty physical therapy sessions in the past few months, and this morning I had a re-evaluation to see the progress and plan the next steps. But now I had to try to condense all of that into six words that would somehow capture the essence of my experiences or feelings. Again, easier said than done. Here is my attempt:

Physical therapy

Transformative

End in sight

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

Last night Allan and I watched Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much. That one, along with Rear Window, are two of my favorites from Hitchcock. (Of course, it probably has something to do with Jimmy Stewart, too.) As I watched, I thought about how much movie making and book-making, especially picture books, have in common.

There is a classic scene in The Man Who Knew Too Much that takes place during a concert in London’s Albert Hall. Doris Day and Jimmy Stewart are frantically trying to find their son, but in the process realize that something else very sinister is about to happen. Jimmy Stewart rushes in and realizes Doris has figured something out. They talk, he runs up to the balcony, argues with the guards, runs to each door. The scenes cut quickly back and forth from character to character, and all the while the only thing heard is the beautiful music in the concert hall. There is dialogue, but we don’t need to hear it to know what is happening. Everything is in the visuals and the music. That is what makes us feel anxious (no matter how many times we have seen it). That is what carries the story forward. Just like in picture books, the illustrations enhance the text and are so often used to evoke emotion and advance the story.

After the movie we watched the “behind the scenes” to learn more, much like the back-matter in a book. To me, it was like reading an author’s note that explains the process. There is so much we can learn about story and writing from watching movies, especially the classics. Sometimes we just have to approach it through a different lens.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

I’m up early this morning. The house is quiet. In a few minutes my phone will buzz with a text message from my on-line writing critique group friends. We write together on Wednesday mornings at 6:30 for as much time as each of us can put in. We text what our plans are for the morning and at the end we say a few words on how it went. Sometimes there are questions. Always there is comradery.

I met these ladies a few years ago at a Highlights writing workshop and I spent another few days with them at a writing retreat some time later. It’s been only recently that I formally joined the group, and already I can see the benefits of talking and learning together. But it is this early morning writing time once a week that is comforting and also productive. There’s some accountability built in, but no hard and fast rules. It’s nice knowing that somewhere there is a friend maybe struggling to find the right word just as you are, or wondering how to better develop a character. And if you have a question, they are just a text message away.

I decided several years ago that I would get serious about writing for children. But it’s been only about a year that I’ve really jumped in with both feet to learn and write as much as I can. I had plenty of excuses, and sometimes I let other excuses, uncertainty, or fear hold me back. But here I am, having fun (but taking it seriously).

        Bzzzz…there’s my phone. Morning…

        …I’m finishing a blog post for Slice of Life, then tackling revisions. There’s snow

           already so I guess it will be a writing kind of day.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Story Challenge. Thanks to the co-authors of              Two Writing Teachers for creating this  supportive community.

Yesterday was a slow morning in the Children’s Garden at Longwood. I took a book and sat down in the central cove, hoping to engage an unsuspecting toddler in Joyce Sidman’s Swirl by Swirl. Instead, I found myself in a delightful conversation with a couple from Michigan.

They were on their way to the flower show in Philadelphia and decided to stop at Longwood when they discovered how close it was. When the woman saw me with the book, she shared that she had been a second grade teacher. She talked about collecting thousands of books and turning her classroom into a rain forest or a planetarium. We shared favorite titles and favorite authors. Then we talked about the wonders of Longwood and she told me that she is a master gardener and wants to visit as many botanical gardens around the country as she can.

What struck me most about this couple was their devotion to each other. They held hands as they chatted with me, explaining that this trip was to celebrate their anniversary. The gentleman likes to drive, not fly, so that is what they do. He said that he has done many things and been to many places because of his special lady. She shared that for Christmas he still gives her a picture book, preferably one by Jan Brett, her favorite author. My heart felt full by the time they left to find the Blue Poppies.

There are many perks to volunteering at Longwood. This is one of them.